Mini Cooper S Convertible first drive review

Following in the wheeltracks of Mazda, which re-invigorated its iconic MX-5 roadster with a back-to-basics focus on pure driving enjoyment, Mini has injected the same philosophy into its third-generation rag top, which drops the previous Cabrio tag for Convertible.

The name change may seem a little insignificant, but having driven the Cooper S Convertible in its most natural environment – from cruising Hollywood Boulevard to charging along the challenging Mulholland Highway and returning to Los Angeles with the Pacific Ocean on one side from Malibu to Venice – during the car's international launch, the open-top is not only a convertible in the way it operates, but also in character.

At its core, it is still defined by its look-at-me folding roof – which now operates fully-electrically and can be optioned with a Union Jack woven into the canvas – but, thanks to a stiffer and lighter body structure and its more powerful 2.0-litre turbo charged four-cylinder engine, the Cooper S Convertible is more fun than its ever been even though it will be offered only with an automatic transmission when it arrives in Australian showrooms in April.

Mini has breathed new life into its Cooper Convertible. Photo: Supplied

It's also more accessible and better value than before with price reductions of $2450 and $3400 respectively despite added equipment for the Cooper and Cooper S models that make-up the only variants to be offered locally.

Utilising the new front-drive underpinnings that form the basis of the latest Mini hatch and Clubman models, as well as the BMW 2-Series Active Tourer and X1 SUV, the Convertible is slightly larger than the car it replaces with marginally more interior space and a larger cargo carrying capacity.

Like the hatch, the Cooper is powered by a 1.5-litre three cylinder that produces 100kW and 220Nm and consumes an average of 5.3L/100km while the Cooper S' 2.0-litre four cylinder turbo ups the ante to 141kW/280Nm without too much of a penalty in fuel consumption with a claimed average of 5.8L/100km.

Both models drive the front wheels only through a six-speed automatic transmission (a six-speed manual can be ordered in Australia as a no-cost option) with the Cooper S picking up the Sports Transmission with steering wheel shift paddles.

Unique to the Convertible, the folding fabric roof can be configured in two different ways, retaining its sliding sunroof function as well as the full top-down experience. It can be lowered or locked-in place in just 18 seconds at speeds up to 30km/h.

It even has an 'Always Open' function that times how long you've had the rood down and a rain warning in the dedicated phone app that uses weather information to alert you when precipitation is imminent.

On the road, the roof is easy to operate and, thanks to the car's upright windscreen, provides a fully open-air experience with a gentle ruffling of the hair at around town speeds. At higher speeds, it's almost mandatory to lift the windows up and use the optional rear-mounted wind deflector – which will cost around $520 and renders the two back seats useless – to reduce the buffeting to acceptable levels.

At any speed, with the roof sitting on the back deck behind the headrests, it severely limits visibility through the rear view mirror to the point where you end up relying solely on the wing mirrors. It's not much better with the roof in place either, with significant blind spots across the three-quarter view and a small rear window.

But it is reasonably well insulated when in place, restricting wind and road noise to levels similar to the hatch.

As for the driving experience, the Convertible maintains all the fun character traits of the Cooper S hatch without any of the notable drawbacks usually associated with open-roofed variants due to a less rigid body structure.

The steering is still light and precise with great initial turn-in and the suspension is firm for maximum grip through the bends. Around town, that means the Mini is easy to manoeuvre and darts through city traffic but occupants are kept busy over bumps – no matter how big or small. On a smooth twisty road, however, it can be chucked through the bends with a fair degree of fervour, its grippy 18-inch Pirelli tyres only squealing in protest at the absolute limit.

The low-down pulling power on offer from the turbo engine can overcome the front-end and tug through the steering wheel under heavy acceleration out of tight corners, but otherwise ensures the Cooper S feels perky, no matter whether you're cruising the streets or corner carving through canyons. It's there, with the Sport mode activated, that the sharper throttle map adds some liveliness to way it responds and introduces some added character to the muted exhaust note when it blurts on upshifts and burbles like its giving you a 'golf clap' when you back off the gas.

The six-speed automatic is also intuitive when left to its own devices with smooth shifts and feels well-suited to the overall character of the car.

At the end of the day, the Mini Convertible doesn't deviate too far from the formula set by its predecessors but is improved in every area to offer a fun and affordable four-seater alternative to the likes of the MX-5.